NHTSA Complaint #10426402 — 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

MY CAR IS A CERTIFIED USED VW BEETLE. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING A FEW MONTHS AGO, ALONG WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE CAR. THIS WAS AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE CAR, AND I KNOW IT IS USED, BUT I NOW COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED, IN FACT ARE BLATANTLY ON THIS WIKI FOR THE CAR (WHICH UNFORTUNATELY, EITHER WAS NOT UP WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR, OR I DID NOT READ IT CAREFULLY) HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/VOLKSWAGEN_NEW_BEETLE "THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED ISSUE, OFTEN FAILING AFTER ONLY A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF USE." THERE ARE NUMEROUS PAGES WHERE THIS IS NOTED NOW ACROSS THE WEB: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F124D77 HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/VW_BEETLE.HTML SOME INCIDENTS NOTED SHOW THE DANGER OF THIS SITUATION. LUCKILY THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ME, BUT NOW I AM LOOKING AT REPLACING A WHOLE TRANSMISSION (ALONG WITH FAILED DOOR MOTORS AND SUCH). IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, HOW CAN VW GET AWAY WITH CERTIFYING THIS CAR, WITHOUT AT LEAST A WARNING OR A LONGER WARRANTY ON PARTS THEY KNOW WILL FAIL. I CONSIDER THIS A FRAUD PERPETRATED ON ME. UNFORTUNATELY THIS REPAIR IS GOING TO COST MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH, AND YET, WE STILL OWE MONEY ON IT TO VW FOR OUR LOAN. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED HERE. THANK YOU. *TR